Price May Be Steep, but Thin ThinkPad Has Abundant Features
Despite low file-storage capacity, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X300 will be perfect for many mobile PC users.
I am writing these words on a new laptop computer that packs a full-size screen and keyboard into a body that’s quite thin and light. And it has a solid-state drive with no moving parts instead of a hard disk.
But this isn’t the much-touted Apple MacBook Air, introduced last month with all those qualities. Instead, it’s a new ThinkPad from Lenovo, the X300. While the two machines are both impressive products, they are different in key respects.
I’ve been testing the ThinkPad X300 and I have found it to be a solid, innovative laptop that will be perfect for many mobile PC users. It isn’t as sexy or inexpensive as the MacBook Air, but it has numerous features the Apple lacks, especially a wide array of ports and connectivity options, a built-in DVD drive and a removable battery.
I can recommend the X300 for road warriors without hesitation, provided they can live with its two biggest downsides: a relatively paltry file-storage capacity and a hefty price tag. This ThinkPad starts at $2,476 for a stripped-down model and at $2,799 for a preconfigured retail version with a half-size battery. The configuration I expect to be the most popular, with a full-size battery and DVD drive, is about $3,000.
The key factor in both of these downsides is the solid-state drive, or SSD, which replaces the hard disk. The SSD is fast and rugged, but today it can hold only a cramped 64 gigabytes of files and is very costly. Apple offers a MacBook Air version with the same solid-state drive for a similar high price. But Apple also has a much more affordable $1,799 model with an 80-gigabyte standard hard disk. Lenovo doesn’t.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X300
The X300, due to go on sale next week at lenovo.com and at a few retailers, isn’t as thin as the MacBook Air. In fact, at its thinnest point it is almost as thick as the Apple is at its thickest point. And when the new ThinkPad is ordered in what are likely to be its most common configurations, it is heavier than the three-pound Apple and, in fact, fails to make the three-pound cutoff that typically denotes a “subnotebook.” Only one configuration breaks that barrier, at 2.93 pounds, and it is the stripped-down model with just a half-size battery and no DVD drive.
But the X300, which will come with either Windows Vista or Windows XP, is still very thin and light. It’s under an inch thick and even at its heaviest is only 3.5 pounds. Yet, like the Apple, it packs in a widescreen 13.3-inch display and a full-width keyboard.
Plus, Lenovo has used that extra thickness to good advantage. While the MacBook Air’s extreme thinness makes it gorgeous, it left no room for an Ethernet jack, a removable battery, a built-in DVD drive or a cellphone modem. The X300 has all these things, either standard or as options, plus three USB ports, compared with just one for the Apple. The Lenovo even offers GPS location-finding, the ability to connect to new wireless USB devices and future support for a forthcoming wireless network standard called WiMax.
The ThinkPad has another advantage: Even though its screen is the same size as the Apple’s, it is higher resolution, so more material can be seen without scrolling. Some people find that higher-resolution screens make text too small to read easily, but I didn’t experience any such problem on the X300.
In my tests, the X300 performed very well, even though it has a relatively slow processor, slower than the MacBook’s.
But the ThinkPad’s battery life was only fair, and was inferior to the Apple’s. In my tough test, where I turn off all power-saving features, set the screen to maximum brightness, turn on Wi-Fi and run a repeating play list of music, the X300 lasted three hours and five minutes. That was 24 minutes less than the comparable MacBook Air. And this was on the $3,000 configuration with a full-size battery and a DVD drive. The more basic models, with a half-size battery, would last only half as long, according to Lenovo.
MacBook Air
In more normal use, the model I tested would likely last under four hours on a charge, and the base models maybe two, compared with about 4.5 hours for the Mac.
I also tested another version of the ThinkPad, which substitutes a second, half-size battery for the DVD drive. It got five hours and 15 minutes, which means you could likely get 6.5 to seven hours in normal usage. That model costs around $2,850.
There are two more factors worth mentioning. I believe that both the Mac operating system and the software that comes with it are superior to the Windows operating system and built-in software offered on the ThinkPad. And the Mac isn’t susceptible to the vast majority of viruses and spyware, and doesn’t require third-party security software.
Also, the ThinkPad’s screen, when opened, stands significantly higher than the Mac’s, so it is less usable in a coach seat on an airplane when the person in front of you reclines.
If you’re happy with Windows, can afford the price tag, and value the many ports and connectivity options Lenovo has packed in, the thin and rugged X300 is a great choice. It’s a notable engineering accomplishment.
Email me at mossberg@wsj.com. Find all my columns and videos online, free, at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.
Comments
Expect that Apple very soon will introduce thinner, lighter versions of it high-end MacBook Pro line of notebook computers.
Posted by Gilbert Montgomery at February 21st, 2008 at 7:08 am@Gilbert Montgomery
Source?
Posted by Gary Chan at February 21st, 2008 at 8:00 amWhen mentioning the fact that Windows is more susceptible to viruses it’s also worth pointing out that it’s also much more in use than OSX so you can work with more businesses. The two kind of go hand in hand unfortunately.
As for the battery, disappointing in parts, but you have a choice of which one to use and can always bang in a spare if needed.
As for Gilbert, sure Apple will release other versions of the Air just as every other manufacturer of this class of prodcut will release better versions of their products as well.
Bottom line is form against function. I would still go for an X61 ahead of both though.
Posted by Mark Anderson at February 21st, 2008 at 9:26 amThat’s a good review, let’s hope that the others will be at least as good !
Just one thing : the SSD in the X300 is not the same as the one in the MacBook Air, and is more powerful.
I feel a little disappointed by the battery life too. 5h15 with a second battery…
Posted by Mehdi AID at February 21st, 2008 at 9:49 amTypical Mossberg review- I’m getting tired of hearing that everything that isn’t a Mac is inferior. Macs and PCs (for the record, I own both) both have strengths and weaknesses. Mr Mossberg loses journalistic relevance every time he parrots the tired ‘macs are better’ message in leiu of a serious review of a device on its own merits.
From the perspective of someone who travels frequently (and owns a macbook pro for personal use), the Air is unappealing. Apple comprimised too much for a design principle which I feel lacks substance. The Air is incredibly thin, but the footprint, and therefore size of bag I must travel with it in, remains standard. A thinner laptop doesn’t help me get my work done. A laptop with more features DOES.
While the MBA is beautiful, in comparison to the Lenovo- the higher resolution, more USB ports and a removeable battery (effectively increasing battery life to however many batteries you have - I travel with 2) are certainly worth 0.5 lbs and 24 minutes less of battery life.
For a serious review of the Macbook Air, try Ars Technica. Sorry Walt, but when I can guess what the conclusion of your review is going to be, you might as well stop writing.
Posted by Don Kellogg at February 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pmPerhaps “…when I can guess what the conclusion of your review is going to be, you might as well stop writing,” might be better put as “… when I can guess what the conclusion of your review is going to be, I might as well stop reading.”
I did appreciate your comments, though. So, I’d encourage you to continue reading and commenting.
Posted by Gerry Eichner at February 21st, 2008 at 5:30 pmI don’t think it’s a good comparison.
The new Lenovo X300 doesn’t really compare to the Air at all. It compares much more to the regular MacBook in every way - features, dimensions, etc., except the MacBook would be slightly heavier and significantly more powerful.
The X300 is just a slightly shrunk typical PC laptop. Yawn. The Air is a whole new animal. Thin doesn’t even begin to describe how small and light and THIN it is. The X300 is a hippo next to the Air.
I do agree that Apple compromised too much with the Air. I would have preferred 0.1″ more thickness and a more squarish bottom to accommodate more standard ports and more hard drive options.
Posted by Dave Alligood at February 21st, 2008 at 8:44 pmIt is obvious that some of the people holding forth regarding the MacBook Air have no experience with it and do not know the specifications. For example, no one who had real knowledge of the computer could possibly think that one needs to carry it in a full-size bag. Even a case designed for a normal 13-inch computer swallows a MacBook Air because it is incredibly thin. Those of us who own one eagerly await cases that are small enough coming onto the market. Nor does find the non-removable battery and obstacle in day-to-day use. The battery lasts longer than many laptop batteries and the power adapter is quite small so one can take it along if one chooses.
Furthermore, Walt Mossberg has written a positive review of the Lenovo X300. He need not declare the computer perfect for the assessment to be mainly positive. It also makes sense to discuss these two small laptops together since they share screen and keyboard sizes as well as the 64 GB SSD. Since the MacBook Air also runs Windows, persons in the market for such a computer can consider both.
Posted by Jane Greer at February 22nd, 2008 at 3:07 amDon Kellogg: yes, Walt loves Macs. But he does give some good reasons why.
Virus protection alone is a killer feature that makes it worth the switch.
And those who can afford the MacBook Air are they types who will pay extra for the style element that is central to its appeal.
Posted by paul merrill at February 22nd, 2008 at 9:20 amI don’t have a problem with Mossberg liking Macs- I like Macs too. The problem that I have is the way that he unabashedly holds up virtually any and every Mac device as the gold standard against which all others must be measured. It’s an obvious bias which I believe is grounded in opinion rather than facts.
The Mac Air is beautiful. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering, however there are several very important features which it lacks which eliminate it as a credible ‘reference system’ in the subnotebook class.
Not having a removable battery is absolutely inexcusable. In form and function, laptops liberate users from sitting in front of a desktop - making computing possible virtually anywhere. By not including a swapable battery, Apple has imposed a false time constraint on portable computing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve swapped out a battery on a flight to or from a client meeting. Not acceptable.
Similarly, the design principle of ‘thinner is better’ is dubious at best in light of the sacrifices made in the Air. The Air achieves slower performance than a Macbook at twice the price with less ports and only has 3/4 of an inch less in thickness to show for it.
Traditionally, the subnotebook class has been geared towards business travelers. Lenovo’s new laptop should be benchmarked against a credible subnotebook offering like an XPS M1330 rather than a beautiful collection of compromises like the Air.
Posted by Don Kellogg at February 22nd, 2008 at 2:58 pmRegrettably, the same ignorance and arrogance I referred to above is continuing. The MacBook Air actually fits the subcompact category better than the new Lenovo. It is lighter than the two configurations of the Lenovo likely to sell.
Presence of more ports on the Lenovo will not give it priority for many buyers since we rarely, if ever, use all the ports on our current computers. Ditto for removable battery. One battery usually lasts the entire two years or so one has a given computer.
I have been a MacBook Air user for about eight days now. On the fifth day, I felt confident enough to put my MacBook Pro in the shop. The utility of the Air is adequate to serve as my main computer temporarily, though I bought it as a truly conveyable computer that will more than half the weight on my shoulder or back.
Posted by Jane Greer at February 22nd, 2008 at 7:40 pmDon K, ???????
Whats up?
“The Mac Air is beautiful. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering, however there are several very important features which it lacks which eliminate it as a credible ‘reference system’ in the subnotebook class.”
Hmmm, such as its weight and size?? Why are you the only one who gets to decide what goes in each computer class??? Hmmmm?
“Not having a removable battery is absolutely inexcusable.”
Hmm, so its OK to carry a spare battery but not an external one that just plugs in??? What up with that??
“In form and function, laptops liberate users from sitting in front of a desktop - making computing possible virtually anywhere. By not including a swapable battery, Apple has imposed a false time constraint on portable computing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve swapped out a battery on a flight to or from a client meeting. Not acceptable.”
Again, there are “plug in” external batteries that weigh the same as an internal battery. Is this some sort of personal phobia or are you just stuck on PCs and have a thing about “plugging” in a battery.???
“Similarly, the design principle of ‘thinner is better’ is dubious at best in light of the sacrifices made in the Air”"
May I suggest that the MacBook Air is perfect for what it does. Period. And the xxx300 is perfect for what it does. The key is to pick which one is right for you. Not put down an ultralight for being ultra light and not having every possible plug on its side. After all, where is the folding 20 inch screen on the MBA. Every laptop should have a 20-30 inch screen that folds down to say 8 inches, right. Its required.
en
Posted by elder norm at February 24th, 2008 at 8:33 amElder- my comments:
“Hmmm, such as its weight and size?? Why are you the only one who gets to decide what goes in each computer class??? Hmmmm?”
Actually, the subnotebook class IS defined by weight (
Posted by Don Kellogg at February 24th, 2008 at 2:39 pmthe lack of gps and cellphone modem in the MBA is not an issue, OSX’s great Bluetooth support for phones provides this easily.
Earlier up, someone said Windows and OSX both have strengths; can anyone give me an example of a Windows strength for a typical business user who has web based applications? Please also keep in mind parallels/fusion.
Posted by Abhi Mittal at February 25th, 2008 at 1:38 amI think Walt is very charitable. I am sure he will use this machine himself. For me, the laptop has one serious problem: it runs Windows.
Anything that does is junk.
Posted by David Owens at February 26th, 2008 at 5:45 amDavid Owens’ comments just show why no-one takes Apple fanbois seriously.
Silly David.
As for the Air and the X300, looking at the new configuration of the Dell XPS M1330 they both appear to have been blown out of the water. As sub 4lb 2.6GHZ Penryn equipped laptop? That’ll do for me.
Posted by Mark Anderson at February 27th, 2008 at 9:19 am